In an event that included riders from Germany, Australia and Canada as well as from California and Colorado, it was local favorite Tommy Grimes who rode to victory Sunday in the featured Top Fuel category at the 22nd annual Jim McClure All-Harley Nitro Nationals at Rockingham Dragway.
Grimes, the veteran from Pfafftown, N.C., sped to a new national record of 6.197 seconds at 220.40 miles per hour in a final round victory over Mike Scott of Bling Bay, British Columbia in a field for which former IHRA All-Harley Champion Jay Turner of Julian, N.C., title contender Ricky House of Humble, Texas and international rider Joachim Riemer of Germany were able to qualify.
Astride the hybrid Harley he campaigns out of Ray Price Harley-Davidson in Raleigh, Grimes raced to a speed of 227.96 mph en route to the No. 1 qualifying position but wasn’t able to satisfy criteria that would have made that the new American Motorcycle Racing Association speed record.
It was the only thing Grimes left on the table in a dominating performance. After qualifying No. 1 at 6.220, he stopped the quarter mile timers in 6.242 seconds to be Ray Cason in round one, at 6.198 to turn back points leader Randal Andras of Amelia, La., in the semifinals and 6.197 to beat Scott.
Despite the loss to Grimes, Andras did not leave empty-handed. He turned back No. 1 qualifier Chris Streeter of Cleveland, Ohio, to win the Nitro Funny Bike title.
Grimes and Andras shared the winners’ circle with Pro Fuel winner Rocky Jackson of Youngsville, La., Pro Gas champion Tom Caldwell of Knoxville, Tenn., and Pro Mod winner Joey Thompson of Hopewell, N.J.
Thompson beat Morry Strauble of Wyoming, Mich., in the Pro Mod final after Strauble stunned Jason Adams of Gainesville, Ga., in the semifinals when he used a .018 reaction time to make his 8.537 second time a winner against Adams’ much quicker 8.357.
Sportsman winners included Donnie Huffman of Lakeland, Fla., who won three classes and was runner-up in a fourth.
The track’s ambitious “Rocktoberfest” program continues this week with the return of the Super Chevy Show, a celebration of all things Chevrolet. The event will include a car and truck show, vendor midway, swap meet, bracket races and the 200 mile an hour Extreme Outlaw Pro Modifieds.
Results from the American Motorcycle Racing Association’s 22nd annual Jim McClure All-Harley Nitro Nationals at Steve Earwood’s Rockingham Dragway:
TOP FUEL
Qualifying – 1. Tommy Grimes, Pfafftown, N.C., 6.220, 227.96 mph; 2. Mark Cox, Wilkesboro, N.C., 6.268, 217.49 mph; 3. Larry “Drums” Brancaccio, Nutley, N.J., 6.443, 211.89 mph; 4. Randal Andras, Amelia, La., 6.447, 214.42 mph; 5. Tracy Kile, Asheville, N.C., 6.539, 206.16 mph; 6. Mike Scott, Bling Bay, British Columbia, Canada, 6.594, 211.46 mph; 7. Lyle Newton, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, 6.780, 178.99 mph; 8. Ray Cason, Tampa, Fla., 6.971, 173.01 mph.
Did not qualify – Ricky House, Humble, Texas, 7.028, 163.79 mph; Joachim Riemer, Frankfort, Germany, 7.360, 174.03 mph; Jay Turner, Julian, N.C., 7.387, 128.07 mph; Peter Geiss, Huntington, N.J., 8.913, 119.03 mph.
Round 1 – Randal Andras, Amelia, La., 6.450, 212.19 mph, def. Tracy Kile, Asheville, N.C., 7.160, 160.06 mph; Mark Cox, Wilkesboro, N.C., 6.351, 215.65 mph, def. Lyle Newton, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, 6.595, 191.48 mph; Mike Scott, Bling Bay, British Columbia, Canada, 6.497, 213.10 mph, def. Larry “Drums, Brancaccio, Nutley, N.J., 6.550, 209.98 mph; Tommy Grimes, Pfafftown, N.C., 6.242, 219.86 mph, def. Ray Cason, Tampa, Fla., 8.015, 184.70 mph.
Semifinals – Grimes, 6.198, 220.69 mph, def. Andras, 6.350, 220.12 mph; Scott, 6.428, 213.81 mph, def. Cox, 10.807, 84.43 mph.
FINAL – Tommy Grimes, Pfafftown, N.C., 6.197, 220.40 mph, def. Mike Scott, Bling Bay, British Columbia, Canada, 6.461, 208.59 mph.
NITRO FUNNY BIKE
Qualifying – 1. Chris Streeter, Cleveland, Ohio, 6.696, 184.93 mph; 2. Randal Andras, Amelia, La., 6.743, 177.11 mph; 3. Tracy Kile, Asheville, N.C., 7.574, 134.67 mph; 4. Rocky Jackson, Youngsville, La., 7.728, 150.45 mph.
Round 1 – Chris Streeter, Cleveland, Ohio, 6.648, 192.96 mph, def. Ben Fukushima, NA, 12.209, 64.23 mph; Rocky Jackson, Youngsville, La., 8.471, 111.10 mph, def. Russ Sowers, Hermitage, Pa., no time, no speed; Randal Andras, Amelia, La., 6.694, 192.17 mph, def. Jim Doyle, Springfield, Mass., 6.762, 187.86 mph; Trace Kile, Asheville, N.C., 7.264, 185.38 mph, def. Rick Vreeland, Bloomsburg, Pa., 9.083, 121.30 mph.
Semifinals – Andras, 6.686, 198.70 mph, def. Kile, 6.998, 165.09 mph; Streeter, 6.812, 166.85 mph, def. Jackson, no time, no speed.
FINAL – Randal Andras, Amelia, La., 6.564, 207.21 mph, def. Chris Streeter, Cleveland, Ohio, 6.808, 181.81 mph.
PRO FUEL
Qualifying – 1. Rocky Jackson, Youngsville, La., 7.263, 169.04 mph; 2. Rebel Glover, Holly Hill, Fla., 7.338, 170.45 mph; 3. Wayne McGininness, Perth, Australia, 7.453, 163.29 mph; 4. Keith Kelley, Dickson, Tenn., 7.459, 167.99 mh.
Round 1 – Rocky Jackson, Youngsville, La., 7.920, 154.51 mph, def. Wendell Overcash, Sanford, N.C., no valid time, 104.91 mph; Jon Esenwein, Negley, Ohio, 8.375, 154.56 mph, def. Keith Kelley, Dickson, Tenn., 17.332, 50.83 mph; Dale Nilles, Westminster, Colo., 7.846, 157.85 mph, def. Preston Bartlett, St. Augustine, Fla., 7.665, 138.154 mph; Rebel Glover, Holly Hill, Fla., 7.378, 165.42 mph, def. Kenneth Little Jr., Eagles Mere, Pa., 8.398, 151.60 mph; Tyler Wilson, Walnut Cove, N.C., 7.480, 155.81 mph, def. Kevin Garrow, Philadelphia, Pa., 7.806, 158.46 mph; Rich Vreeland, Bloomsburg, Pa., 7.461, 160.08 mph, def. Janette Thornley, Sacramento, Calif., 7.566, 165.94 mph; Pete Stimeling, Vinton, Va., 7.523, 166.87 mph, def. Billy “Billy Jack” Jackson, Coatesville, Pa., 7.588, 159.53 mph; Wayne McGininness, Perth, Australia, 7.649, 157.69 mph, def. Jay Beasley, Winston-Salem, N.C., 8.087, 157.34 mph.
Round 2 – Jackson, 7.411, 169.17 mph, def. Nilles, 7.469, 162.72 mph; Wilson, 7.491, 156.39 mph, def. Esenwein, 8.055, 156.83 mph; Glove, 7.341, 164.43 mph, def. Stimeling, 7.550, 161.48 mph; Vreeland, 7.500, 157.65 mph, def. McGininness, 7.641, 165.38 mph.
Semifinals – Jackson, 8.014, 149.07 mph, def. Wilson, 17.347, 43.13 mph; Vreeland, 7.388, 169.10 mph, def. Glover, 14.512, no speed.
FINAL – Rocky Jackson, Youngsville, La., 7.474, 162.29 mph, def. Rich Vreeland, Bloomsburg, Pa., 7.487, 168.28 mph.
PRO GAS
Round 1 – Andy Simon, Fairless Hills, Pa., 8.202, 154.23 mph, def. Billy Doherty, Lake Charles, La., foul; Jim Dhanse, Mt. Juliet, Tenn., 8.956, 138.94 mph, def. Justin Collier, Orlando, Fla., no time, no speed; Tom Caldwell, Knoxville, Tenn., 8.754, 121.07 mph, def. Craig Fisher, Wilmington, Del., 9.174, 140.91 mph.
Semifinals – Simon, 8.202, 154.95 mph, def. Dhanse, 9.204, 133.37 mph; Caldwell, bye.
FINAL – Tom Caldwell, Knoxville, Tenn., 7.916, 162.10 mph, def. Andy Simon, Fairless Hills, Pa., 8.268, 152.16 mph.
PRO MODIFIED
Round 1 – Jason Adams, Gainesville, Ga., 8.389, 148.35 mph, def. John Price, Emmitsburg, Md., 8.810, 145.45 mph; Morry Strauble, Wyoming, Mich., 8.523, 152.95 mph, def. Hank Stanton, East Rochester, N.Y., 8.647, 152.06 mph; Joey Thompson, Hopewell, N.J., 8.461, 154.53 mph, def. Gary Douglass, Staunton, Va., no time, no speed.
Semifinals – Strauble, 8.537, 152.14 mph, def. Adams, 8.357, 149.48 mph; Thompson, bye.
FINAL – Joey Thompson, Hopewell, N.J., 8.469, 154.51 mph, def. Morry Strauble, Wyoming, Mich., 8.552. 153.20 mph.
OTHER FINAL ROUNDS
MODIFIED – Justin Collier, Orlando, Fla., 9.717, 128.42 mph, def. Kevin Gauntt, Egg Harbor City, N.Y., 9.932, 132.17 mph.
V-MOD – Dennis Fisher, Dayton, Ohio, 8.946, 142.49 mph, def. Billy Doherty, Lake Charles, La., 9.069, 130.68 mph.
OUTLAW STREET – Charley Douglass, Stanuton, Va., 8.834, 154.17 mph, def. Nick Gonatas Jr., Youngstown, Ohio, 8.995, 147.12 mph.
HOT STREET – John Toth, Twilight, Pa., 9.512, 140.21 mph, def. Charley Douglass, Staunton, Va., 9.994, 129.52 mph.
DRESSER – David Dennick, Eighty-Four, Pa., 10.694, 127.90 mph, def. David Cartwright, Evansville, Ind., 11.287, 120.28 mph.
TOP ELIMINATOR – Donnie Huffman, Lakeland, Fla., 9.377 on a 9.300, 116.61 mph, def. Dennis Waldron, Owings, Md., 9.335 on a 9.300, 138.24 mph.
SUPER GAS – Donnie Huffman, Lakeland, Fla., 11.817, 76.29 mph, def. Manny Carrassquilla, Clearwater, Fla., broke.
SUPER PRO – Gary DeGrange, Ewing, N.Y., 10.226 on a 10.300, 109.14 mph, def. Bill Rowe Jr., Hellertown, Pa., 10.194 breakout on a 10.300, 117.39 mph.
PRO ELIMINATOR – Lane Boger Sr., Greensboro, N.C., 10.903 on a 10.900, 108.21 mph, def. Donnie Huffman, Lakeland, Fla., 10.818 breakout on a 10.900, 111.84 mph.
STREET ELIMINATOR – Paul Vicory, New Carlisle, Ohio, 11.913 on an 11.500, 124.41 mph, def. Kevin Gauntt, Egg Harbor City, N.J., foul.
ELIMINATOR – Donnie Huffman, Lakeland, Fla., 10.995 on an 11.000, 118.40 mph, def. Chris Wood, Goldsboro, N.C., foul.
